The combination of football fever and prolonged hot weather has boosted supermarket sales to their fastest rate this year, figures show.

Sales were up 3.6% over the 12 weeks to July 15, boosted by football-frenzied customers visiting supermarkets an extra 13 million times over the last month to stock up on viewing essentials, according to the latest grocery market share figures from Kantar Worldpanel.

During the week that the England World Cup team played both Colombia and Sweden, sales of alcohol surged to £287 million, a record outside of Christmas and Easter.

Over the past month, sales of firelighters and fresh burgers rocketed by 47% and 30% as customers turned to barbecues and al fresco dining.

Sales of sun creams jumped by 38%, while nearly a third of all households bought pain-killing tablets over the past month.

The Co-op enjoyed growth of 6.4% over the quarter, its highest recorded since October 2011, while Asda saw sales jump by 3.7% to make it the best performer of the big four for the first time since December 2014.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel, said: “Over the past 12 weeks Co-op experienced growth of 6.4%, its highest recorded since October 2011, as shoppers’ desire to maximise the sunshine encouraged them to shop more locally.”